July 2018 – What Did We Learn?
We are going strong in our 7th month. Thank you members for your continued patronage. Here is our monthly summary of lessons learned in July.
Lessons from our articles
In our first article, Where is all my money going?, we focused on tracking your spending to maintain an accurate picture of how much money is going out and how each dollar is being spent. We introduced you to several online and smartphone app trackers which can simplify the task of monitoring your daily spending.
We also discussed 2 convenient ways to pay bills, either online with your bank/credit union or directly with your creditor through their websites. We also offered insight into the pros and cons of each option.
In addition, we recognize that from time to time, people may run into challenges where paying their pill on time may prove to be a challenge so we provided a step by step process on what to do if you find yourself with past due bills that you cannot pay, from a solution focused approach.
We revisited the student loan topic by providing information regarding the differences between private and public student loans and the benefits and challenges of each.
Finally, we provided a reminder article on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program since statistics showed that most who qualify for the program are not taking advantage of it. We want to ensure that our patrons are in the know.
Lessons from our videos
We provided two videos focused on demystifying your paystub and pay rate. We provided a step by step breakdown on how to read all aspects of your paystub including some of the common acronyms listed like OASDI and FICA.
We also discussed some of the common and not so common deductions which may impact your take home pay based on your individual situation.
Finally, we finished off with a tutorial on how to calculate your pay based on your hourly rate, time worked and expected deductions leading to your net pay.
Quotes to Ponder
Main quote on self-esteem:
“Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are – completely; the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit – not because you think someone else wants you to be different.” – Stacey Charter
Through four quotes we set out to remind you that you are the most important individual in your life. When you realize how powerful you are, owning your happiness and being courageous enough to accept and love yourself without needing permission or approval from others, you can become the best you. In being the best you, you are able to support those around you in a much more meaningful way.
That’s a wrap for July’s lessons.
Patrons, if you did not get a chance to read/watch these lessons, you can still do so. These lessons are readily available under the ‘post’ tab.
Several lessons are posted for this month, August…so keep learning!
If you are not a patron, learn more about Just Do It Afraid, a mentorship for adulthood, at www.JustDoItAfraid.com
As always, share your thoughts and/or questions!
Dr. Linda